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He is one of the last truffle growers to look for truffles with a pig rather than a dog. We went for a walk with Daniel and his sow Rosalie…
Meanwhile, a few kilometers from Angoulême, Daniel and his sow Rosalie go in search of truffles. He is one of the last truffle growers to look for truffles with a pig. More specifically, he has two sows that have been trained to look for these highly prized mushrooms, thanks to their particularly developed sense of smell. A passion that this retired farmer discovered as a teenager. “I was young, I loved nature very much and so I left with that in mind, looking for truffles with a pig and the first time I succeeded“, he recalls. According to him, the pig is a little more efficient and enduring compared to the dog. “It will look all day while the dog will look for an hour or two to please you“, explains Daniel. To teach pigs to find truffles, you have to make them eat them, teach them and give them the taste.
For his research of truffles, Daniel goes on a so-called truffle land. On this place, not everyone is allowed to come and get the mushrooms. And yet…”Some come and allow themselves to look for truffles and that is forbidden“, laments Daniel. Also, he has to deal with the presence of wild boars. “They do us damage and it’s a shame because it penalizes our culture“, he berates.
At the start of the season, truffles are sold for up to 1200 euros per kilo for the first quality.